Hiking with Shawn Blog
Welcome to the Hiking with Shawn Blog! You can expect weekly blog posts featuring hiking, camping, cycling, and kayaking tips. I also post trail guides around Southern Illinois and beyond. You’ll also find gear reviews on the Hiking with Shawn Blog, as well.
Latest from the Hiking with Shawn Blog
The Hiking with Shawn Blog will feature one post a week featuring outdoor recreation tips, trail guides, and gear reviews.
29 Great Hiking Trails in the Shawnee National Forest
29 Great Hiking Trails in the Shawnee National ForestAre you looking for great hiking trails in the Shawnee National Forest this season? Lucky for you, there are over 400 miles of hiking trails in southern Illinois in and around the Shawnee National Forest. Whether...
Day Hiking Gear Checklist
Day Hiking Gear ChecklistA day hiking gear checklist will help you ensure that you bring the right gear with you on your daytime hiking trips. It's important to pack the right stuff. When you don't pack the right gear, and when you need it the most, it can ruin your...
101-Mile Bike Ride
101-Mile Bike RideI just recently completed a 101-mile bike ride. I started at Cave-in-Rock Ferry in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois. I was supposed to finish the ride at Saint Nicolas Brewing Company’s Landmark in Chester, Illinois. I couldn’t finish the ride in Chester, and...
Kayaking for Beginners: A Guide to Start Kayaking Today
Kayaking for Beginners: A Guide to Start Kayaking TodayWelcome to the kayaking for beginners guide! I wanted to write this guide to help you try kayaking and fall in love with it if it's right for you. Storytime – Up until last year, I was terrified of kayaking. I...
Hiking for Beginners on a Budget
Hiking for Beginners on a BudgetI wanted to create something for hiking for beginners on a budget because not everyone can afford the best hiking gear and take any hiking trip they want. And that's fine. But you should still get out and hike if you can. I actually...
Finding Abandoned Places in the Shawnee National Forest
Finding Abandoned Places in the Shawnee National Forest A Recap of Last Week's Hiking with Shawn Episodes!I'm always finding abandoned places in the Shawnee National Forest. And in today's first-ever article of my new "Weekly Recap Series," I will recap last week's...
10 Fastpacking Gear Items to Take with You this Summer
10 Fastpacking Gear Items to Take with You this SummerThe following fastpacking gear items are what I love to take with me when I go fastpacking in the Shawnee National Forest. Fastpacking is a term coined for fast hiking or fast backpacking. You can fast pack in a...
10 Unique Waterfalls in Southern Illinois
10 Unique Waterfalls in Southern IllinoisAre you looking for unique waterfalls in Southern Illinois? Everyone already knows about Burden Falls, Cedar Falls, and Jackson Falls waterfalls, right? But there must be some unique ones you've not been to yet, right? There...
How to Prepare for a Hiking Trip the Right Way
How to Prepare for a Hiking Trip the Right WayIt’s important to prepare for a hiking trip before you go. If you don’t prepare, it can be a bad trip. You could get hurt. You could get stranded. You could have a bad enough experience that you never want to go hiking...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Giant City Trillium Trail Guide
Giant City Trillium Trail GuideGiant City Trillium Trail is a popular trail located near Makanda in Southern Illinois. Trillium Trail is a part of Giant City State Park. The trail is also known as Fern Rocks Nature Preserve. As a designated nature preserve, it is...
Trail of Tears State Forest Campground Review
Illinois Campground Review: Trail of Tears State Forest Campground Jonesboro, IllinoisTrail of Tears State Forest Campground is located in Jonesboro, Union County, in the southern Illinois region. Class C (tent with vehicle access) and Class D (tent with backpacker...
Fort Massac State Park Guide
Fort Massac State Park GuideFort Massac State Park was the first state park in Illinois. This Illinois State Park offers many activities, including historical reference, cycling, hiking, disk golf, boating, and more. There is even a substantial world-famous encampment...
Latest Gear Reviews
Check out my latest outdoor gear reviews posted in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
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I am currently accepting guest contributions from outdoor enthusiasts and local businesses and organizations that are interested in posting on my blog. For the most part, guest posting is free as long as it’s non-commercial in nature. Just to be clear, I do not sell links. While I do accept paid sponsored posts from time to time, I reject around 9 out of 10 of sponsored post requests. If the content isn’t of the highest value to my readers, I will not accept it.
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